Giants rally past Cardinals to close on World Series

SAN FRANCISCO -- Despite peppering St. Louis Cardinals pitchers for 11 hits Wednesday night, the San Francisco Giants got the biggest impact from two non-hits.

Consecutive run-scoring grounders to first base sparked a three-run sixth inning, and the Giants overtook the Cardinals en route to a 6-4 victory in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.

The second straight home victory gave the Giants a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and a chance to earn their third trip to the World Series in the past five years with a win Thursday night at AT&T Park.

The NLCS winner will meet the Kansas City Royals, who swept the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series.

"We're definitely not taking anything for granted," said Giants catcher Buster Posey, who contributed two hits and three RBIs to the win. "A lot of guys were on this team in 2012, when we were in the same boat that the Cardinals are in and were able to win three in a row. We know we're going to have a tough game on our hands (Thursday)."

After the Cardinals built a 4-1 lead on the strength of seven hits, including a home run by second baseman Kolten Wong, in their first three at-bats, the Giants rallied with two in the third before taking the lead for good in the sixth.

Pinch hitter Juan Perez led off the game-swinging uprising with a walk issued by the fourth Cardinals pitcher, left-hander Marco Gonzales.

Shortstop Brandon Crawford followed with a single, and both runners advanced a base when the second pinch hitter of the inning, Matt Duffy, laid down a sacrifice bunt.

Center fielder Gregor Blanco, whose bunt produced the error that ended Game 3, then hit a chopper to the right side. Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams' throw to the plate was low, allowing Perez to slide home safely with the tying run as Crawford took third.

"We are not hitting the long ball, and if you're not doing that, you'd better find some other ways to get some runs," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, whose team has scored 12 of its past 22 runs on non-hits. "Baserunning has a lot to go with it. You try to put pressure on the other club, and that's how it happens."

Second baseman Joe Panik followed with another grounder to Adams, who stepped on first base for the second out of the inning. However, instead of holding Crawford at third, Adams threw to second in an attempt to double up Blanco. The throw was wide of the base, allowing the go-ahead run to score.

"He's got to check home," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "(Crawford) took off once he released the ball to second base. That's not really the play we wanted."

Right-hander Seth Maness replaced Gonzales and served up an RBI single to catcher Buster Posey, increasing the Giants' lead to 6-4.

"We tried to put ourselves in spots where we don't necessarily need to see him in big situations," Matheny said of Posey. "But they do seem to keep coming up, and he's making the most of it, and that's what big-time players do."

The San Francisco bullpen closed the door from there. Left-hander Javier Lopez stranded two baserunners in the seventh before right-hander Sergio Romo pitched a scoreless eighth and closer Santiago Casilla threw a one-hit ninth for his second save of the series.

Right-hander Yusmeiro Petit, who pitched three shutout innings in relief of starter Ryan Vogelsong, got the win. Gonzales took the loss.

"That's quite a comeback, and it all starts with Petit," Bochy said. "He gives you a chance to come back, which we did, and also allows you to still have your guys that you want to use late in the ballgame.

"Petit saved us tonight with his effort."

Posey drove in the Giants' first two runs with a sacrifice fly in the first inning and a single in the third, both off Cardinals starter Shelby Miller. Right fielder Hunter Pence, whose RBI single capped a two-run third inning that got San Francisco within 4-3, and Crawford also had a pair of hits.

Each team finished with 11 hits. The Giants' 11 did not include a home run for the sixth consecutive game.

"We're not worried about hitting homers," Blanco said. "As long as we play a smart game and (get) good defense and good pitching and timely hitting, that's all we need to do."

Wong hit a double and a home run, his third of the series. His double preceded an RBI single by catcher A.J. Pierzynski in the second inning. Wong's homer capped a two-run fourth that was triggered by Matt Holliday's leadoff double, the first of the left fielder's three consecutive hits.

Adams had two hits, including an RBI single that opened the scoring in the first against Vogelsong.

Neither starting pitcher survived the fourth inning amid an early offensive onslaught.

Vogelsong allowed at least one run in each of his three innings. He gave up four runs in all on seven hits and two walks while striking out one.

Miller was only slightly better. He was tagged for three runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked two.

NOTES: The three-run comeback was the second-biggest in Giants postseason history, trailing only erasing a four-run deficit in Game 3 of the 1921 World Series. ... The San Francisco bullpen threw 9 1/3 innings of shutout baseball the past two games. ... Game 5 on Thursday night is a rematch of the series opener in St. Louis that the Giants won 3-0 behind the pitching of LHP Madison Bumgarner. Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright lasted 4 2/3 innings. ... With the completion of the American League Championship Series, the Cardinals-Giants winner knows it will open the World Series next Tuesday in Kansas City. The Royals secured the home-field advantage in the best-of-seven series by virtue of the AL's victory in the All-Star Game. ... Injured Cardinals C Yadier Molina hoped to take batting practice before the game but never got to home plate after experiencing significant pain in his strained left oblique taking warm-up swings. Molina did not play for the second consecutive game.